Bishops Urged to Embrace Social Media in Order to Effectively Evangelize ‘Digital Continent’

November 15, 2010

BALTIMORE (November 15, 2010) — The Catholic Church faces an urgent call to
evangelize the new “digital continent” of social media, according to a
presentation to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) at
their annual Fall General Assembly. Bishop Ronald Herzog of Alexandria,
Louisiana, a member of the USCCB Communications Committee, delivered the
presentation November 15.

“Although social media has been around for less
than 10 years, it doesn’t have the makings of a fad,” said Bishop Herzog. “We’re
being told that it is causing as fundamental a shift in communication patterns
and behavior as the printing press did 500 years ago. And I don’t think I have
to remind you of what happened when the Catholic Church was slow to adapt to
that new technology,” he said, referencing the Protestant Reformation.

Bishop Herzog described the communication habits of young people today,
which he noted have moved beyond email to the world of social media.

“If
the Church is not on their mobile device, it doesn’t exist,” he said. “The
Church does not have to change its teachings to reach young people, but we must
deliver it to them in a new way.” He compared this outreach to evangelizing a
new digital continent, and said the Church has serious challenges to overcome,
noting, “Most of us don’t understand the culture.”

Bishop Herzog said
the egalitarian nature of the Internet makes it particularly challenging to the
Church.

“Anyone can create a blog,” he noted. “Everyone’s opinion is
valid. And if a question or contradiction is posted, the digital natives expect
a response and something resembling a conversation. We can choose not to enter
into that cultural mindset, but we do so at great peril to the Church’s
credibility and approachability in the minds of the natives, those who are
growing up in this new culture. This is a new form of pastoral
ministry.”

Bishop Herzog cited a survey of diocesan communications
personnel conducted by the USCCB that saw great variation in the use of new
media, with respondents expressing a desire to learn more about it and
requesting training and additional resources. The most frequently requested
resources were not additional dollars but staff who are trained in its
use.---Keywords: social media, new media, Bishop Ronald Herzog,
Committee on Communications, USCCB, General Assembly, November meeting, U.S.
bishops

By accepting this message, you will be leaving the website of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This link is provided
solely for the user's convenience. By providing this link, the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops assumes no responsibility for,
nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or
sponsoring organizations.